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5 Tips to Writing Better Copy

Words are powerful. String a few words together and they have the power to launch careers, increase company sales, make somebody famous, and even change the world. It takes brilliance, creativity, practice, thinking out of the box, and knowing which buttons to push. You can write better copy. Here are a few tips to write better copy and make the magic happen with your words.

1. Determine What Your Goal Is

What do you want to accomplish from writing this copy? Is it to convince more people to sign up for membership? Is it to persuade customers to add those items to the cart and proceed to check out? Or is it to get your readers to like, comment, and share the post in their Facebook accounts? Whatever action you are trying to get your reader to take, your purpose must be clear. If it’s not, we doubt your readers will get it, either.

2. Write a Lead That Will Pull Your Readers In

How do you get your readers to read what you have to say? Through a strong and eye-catching headline. Write a headline that leaps off the page. Something that stands out from the boring and usual subject lines in their inbox. Once you have accomplished this, create a lead sentence. Use a strong and powerful quotation, or a short riddle, or an exciting announcement. It can even be a personal experience or a problem that needs to be solved. Make your readers want to read the next sentence, and the next, and the next. Make them want to read the rest of the content, stay longer on your site, and follow your call to action.

3. Speak in the Language of Your Audience

Great copy makes your readers feel smart and able. What you put in your copy should make perfect sense to them. To accomplish this, know what makes your readers happy, what makes them angry, what they consider their biggest problem, and what keeps them awake at night. Knowing what makes them tick is winning half the battle.

A fifteen-year-old girl in high school will not have the same concerns as those of a thirty-year-old mom and wife. Trying to speak to them in the same language just won’t do. Also, avoid jargon and corporate speak, and just write in the best way to communicate to all.

4. Observe Brevity

Don’t be wordy or vague. If you can say it in twenty-five words, there is no need to write the same thought in fifty words or more. You should give your readers the information that they want in as short a time as possible. Otherwise, you’ll lose their attention. Keep it short, sweet, and effective. Focus on what you want to say. Delete everything else that does not need to be there.

5. Don’t Use Weasel Words

They can’t be avoided. After all, you are writing to convince people to do what you want without them realizing it. But don’t write to mislead or misinform. Instead, use strong, authoritative words like will and can, and scrap the almost certainly and the practically everyone.

Rouselle is a quirky midlifer who gets high on good books, happy movies, trippy music, new recipes, romantic dates, and slobbery kisses from her dog. She loves writing just as much as she loves Justin Timberlake and superhero shows.

Author

Rouselle is a quirky midlifer who gets high on good books, happy movies, trippy music, new recipes, romantic dates, and slobbery kisses from her dog. She loves writing just as much as she loves Justin Timberlake and superhero shows.